Crabbing continues to slow down as the Dungeness start to think about the only other thing that occupies their mind. That's right, love is in the water, or will be soon. There are still some being caught from the beach with snares and the Outer Bay isn't done yet, but Dungies making babies and growing new shells won't make the traps fill faster.
    The surfperch fishing has been great with this mostly nice weather we've been having. Unfortunately the catching has been pretty bad. The ospreys are getting a few but hook-and-line fishermen are finding it far more difficult.
    No halibut from Tomales Bay yet but the water is starting to warm up (56º as I write this) so it seems likely it won't be too long. The basic rule is that once they start really catching them in San Francisco Bay we are about a month behind. The water temp would indicate that it may be even sooner. When it happens it will start way in the back on the flats in 6 to 8 feet of water and then work North. Some larger ones should show on this end of the bay in early to mid-May.
    It sounds like we may get a salmon season this year but the lack of rain now is going to put a big hurt on the salmon in a couple of years. Hatchery fish will get bussed downriver but the wild ones (that set the season) will need to climb over rocks in hot water. Not good.
    The ridge of high pressure that's keeping the rain away is also making another warm water "Blob" it seems, so we may see some exotics this year. They're already catching bluefin in Southern California. If you're a dreamer like me, check out the NorCal Deep Drop Swordfish group on Facebook. There's a lot of fellow dreamers there, but also quite of bit of information. There will be a sword landed in Northern California this year. Maybe.
     Lastly, the Fish and Game Commission will be coming up with new regulations regarding the use of water pumps for clamming. These regulations are being considered now, so if you have any concerns you should probably voice them to fgc@fgc.ca.gov with "Petition #2019-012" in the subject line.

   Aside from some crab in the bay and a very few surfperch there's not much catching to report on. It sounds like the herring spawned in Richardson Bay last weekend but I haven't heard about a spawn here in Tomales Bay.
    On February 21 the California Fish and Game Commission will consider rules about using hand-operated water pumps for clams. Here's what those pumps look like:

   Their use is at least a two-person operation with one person operating the pump and another laying down using the "wand" to liquefy the sand over and around a clam and allow the clammer to reach into the sand and pull out the clam. It isn't quite as easy as it sounds but it is quicker than digging a hole. The water intake on the bottom of the pump requires it to be used in the water, so actually having the clam beds submerged by 4 inches to a foot of water is a necessity. Many of the days that don't have tides low enough to dig a clam have tides low enough to pump clams. That, to me, is the biggest problem. The clams get hit pretty hard by shovel-wielding clammers but the tides low enough to dig clams only happen on maybe 160 days per year. How many clams will be left if everyone can get clams 300 days per year? It seems to me that a gear restriction or a season would be a good thing for all of us. If you feel strongly about it, either way, send your comments to:

• E-mail to fgc@fgc.ca.gov
• Mail to California Fish and Game Commission, P.O. Box 944209, Sacramento, CA 94244-2090

   Also on February 21 there is a petition to shorten the grunion season and place a limit of ten on them. I only know of a couple of guys that get grunion up here, but wrybread, please note that the proposed closed season here would only include the months in which you could actually get a grunion. The rest of the year is wide open.